1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the skinning and dressing of game, and more particularly, to a compact, portable and operationally simple game skinning and dressing aid which can be used to quickly and easily support and skin or dress small fur-bearing animals. While the thrust of the invention is to provide a small, compact and portable game skinning aid, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that larger versions of the apparatus can be used to suspend and process large animals such as hogs and cattle, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The game skinning aid of this invention operates by means of a flexible cable partially embedded in or otherwise attached to a cable bar, with a portion of the cable slidably looped through cable guides provided in each end of the bar, the cable further communicating with a mount bar located outside of the cable bar to tighten a pair of cable loops projecting from each end of the cable bar against the legs of an animal to aid in processing or skinning the animal, as may be required.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many devices have been provided in the prior art for suspending animal and bird carcasses to facilitate carrying, dressing or skinning of the bird or animal. Among the simplest of these devices is the "Game Carrier" disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,236, to J. A. Peterson, which coonsists of a segment of rope having slip-knots fashioned in each end for slipping around the necks of game birds such as ducks and geese, and transporting several of the birds at once. A "Self-Clamping Suspension" device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,599, to Pierre Ambill, for suspending an animal carcass in an elevated head-down position, which device includes an oblong cage having a transverse strut and self-clamping shoes pivotally carried by the cage, the clamping shoes forming bearing jaws for clamping an animal's feet in the device when the animal is suspended from the device. Another suspension apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,311,779, to I. F. Shank. The Shank "Adjustable Hanger" is designed to suspend hogs for processing, and includes a pair of telescoping bars having a curved end and a pair of cables provided with loops extending through each curved end to engage the feet of a hog, the opposite end of the cables attached to a ring for suspending the hanger from a secure point. A "Small Game Hanging Device" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,130, to S. P. Pietrowicz, which apparatus includes a hollow tube having a flexible thong or rope extending from each end through the tubes, and up through an aperture in the center of the tube to a point of suspension. The ends of the rope projecting from the tube are fitted with loops for engaging the legs of the animal to be suspended.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved, portable and compact aid for skinning fur-bearing animals which includes a cable bar provided with a flexible cable, one portion of the cable being embedded inside the cable bar and extending from the ends of the cable bar to describe a loop at each end, and back through apertures in the cable bar and then from the cable bar to terminate in a mount bar fitted with a suspension means for hanging the game skinning aid from a suitable support.
Another object of this invention is to provide a game skinning and animal carcass suspension device which is characterized by a cable bar having the middle segment of a cable embedded therein or otherwise attached thereto, with the free ends of the cable projecting from the ends of the cable bar and threaded back through cable guides provided in the cable bar to define a pair of cable loops at each end of the cable bar, the ends of the cable then exiting the cable bar in spaced relationship and attached to a mount bar spaced from the cable bar, which mount bar is provided with means for suspending the game skinning device from a limb or other support.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a game skinning and animal processing aid which, in a preferred embodiment, includes a cable bar having the ends of a cooperating cable secured therein, the cable extending from the ends of the cable bar, defining a loop at both ends, and extending through a pair of cable guides communicating from the ends of the cable bar to points intermediate the ends of the cable bar, the cable exiting the cable bar at these points in spaced relationship and extending through a lock bar which freely slides on the cable, to form a top loop shaped by a cable slide slidably positioned on the cable at a point above the lock bar.